Luka Jovic, the Serbian forward playing for AC Milan, has been handed a two-match ban in Serie A following an incident during their intense 4-2 loss against Monza over the weekend. The league governing body, Serie A, released a statement confirming that Jovic was shown a red card early in the second half for slapping Monza’s Armando Izzo.
Despite being down to ten men, AC Milan’s Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic managed to level the score in the dying minutes of the game. However, Monza delivered a stunning blow with last-minute goals from Warren Bondo and Lorenzo Colombo, leaving Milan in defeat.
As a result of the ban, Jovic will be absent from the upcoming matches against Atalanta and Lazio. Both of these teams are vying for a spot in next season’s revamped UEFA Champions League.
In a separate incident, Lazio’s sporting director, Mariano Fabiani, has also been hit with a substantial ban. Fabiani received a one-month suspension following a verbal outburst directed at officials during Lazio’s 2-1 defeat against Bologna on Sunday.
Fabiani was banned for having at the end of the first half “entered the field, contesting the referee’s performance in a threatening and intimidating manner”.
Serie A also mentioned that Fabiani’s inappropriate behavior extended to the tunnel, where he angrily pushed the referee.